Removable foot for adjustable storage racks



H. H. CASSEL 3,386,591

REMOVABLE FOOT FOR ADJUSTABLE STORAGE RACKS June 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1966 UDUDODGUU Quinn-HOOD.

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REMOVABLE FOOT FOR ADJUSTABLE STORAGE RACKS Filed Jan. 26, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

l /arrz'son CQSScZ firroP/vprs United States Patent 3,386,591 REMOVABLE FOOT FOR ADIUSTABLE STORAGE RACKE Harrison H. Eassel, Skippaclr, Pan, assignor to Palmer- Sin'le Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,097 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-483) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to industrial storage racks of the collapsible type, and more particularly to a removable foot structure adapted for use with adjustable and collapsible storage racks which permits disposition of the foot in any one of four directions with respect to the post which it supports.

It is an object to provide a removable foot of this nature which facilitates the mounting of posts on each other to achieve a greater rack height.

It is another object to provide an improved rack foot structure of this type which permits the user to secure the foot to the supporting deck surface regardless of the position of the foot.

It is a further object to provide an improved foot structure for industrial storage racks which is very inexpensive to construct, easy to install, adjust or remove without requiring separate fasteners, and is sturdy and reliable in use.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of an industrial storage rack with feet constructed according to the present invention installed therein, showing a second level of posts mounted on the first level;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the rack shown in FIGURE 1, taken in the direction of the arrow 2 thereof, and showing the post cross braces;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and showing the configuration of a removable foot as well as its manner of attachment to the post;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the area marked 4 of FIGURE 3, and showing the coaction of an upstruck tab on the foot with an indented retaining lug on the post, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view in elevation taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 and showing the coaction between a foot pad and a post lug.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular plate having four upstruck tabs in one area thereof, referred to as the post supporting section, and apertured portions in another area referred to as the floor mounting section. The upstruck tabs are spaced 90 apart and are on diagonals, so as to be receivable by the lower end by a post of square cross-sectional shape. Such a post forms part of a collapsible storage rack of the type shown in Patent No. 3,044,633,

issued July 17, 1962, to Edward A. Baker. This type of rack has sets of front and rear posts secured together by cross braces and located at horizontally spaced intervals, with front and rear cross rails extending between the posts and removably secured thereto. The posts have square cross-sectional shapes, and additional sets of posts can be mounted on those sets which rest on the floor to provide additional stacking height.

3 ,385,591 Patented June 4, 1968 The four upstruck tabs on the post supporting section of the foot have downwardly and outwardly inclined projections pressed therefrom. These projections coact with four upwardly and inwardly inclined indented lugs at the corners of each post adjacent the lower end thereof. The foot tabs are received by the lower end of the post, and will be cammed inwardly when pressed up into the posts by engagement of the tab projections with the post lugs. The tabs will then snap into position with the projections above the lugs preventing removal of the foot except by simultaneous inward flexing of the tabs. The foot may be inserted in any one of four positions apart so that the floor mounting section thereof may extend forwardly, rearwardly or to either side of the post. In addition to being able to preselect the foot location, it is possible to secure the foot to the floor in any one of its four positions, either before or after mounting the post thereon. Furthermore, by removal of the foot from the post, the lower end of the post becomes usable above another post, with the two posts being connected by a telescoping insert.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the storage rack is generally indicated at 11 in FIGURES 1 and 2 and comprises pairs of front posts 12 and rear posts 13, each pair of front and rear posts being interconnected by cross braces 14 and diagonal braces 15. Front cross rails .16 extend between adjacent front rail 12, and rear cross rails 17 extend between adjacent rear posts 13. Each pair of front and rear cross rails is adapted to support loads such as pallets with merchandise for storage pur poses. The opposite ends of each rail 16 and 17 has a pair of connecting members 18 with downwardly facing teeth interfitting with outpressed portions 19 on the front and rear posts 12 and 13. This removable connecting arrangement between the cross rails and posts is more fully described in the aforementioned patent.

The cross-sectional shape of each post 12 and 13 is seen in FIGURE 3. This shape includes a front wall 21, a rear wall 22, a first side wall 23, and a second two-part side wall 24 with an open area between the parts. In other words, each post 12 or 13 has an essentially square cross sectional shape with somewhat rounded corners 25. The pressed elements 19 are provided along the entire length of each post so that the heights of rails 16 and 17 may be adjusted.

In order to increase the total available storage height, it is sometimes desirable to place a second level of posts 12 and 13 above the first level. These posts are indicated at 12 and 13 in FIGURES 1 and 2, and rest on the lower sets of posts, being connected thereto by members 26, which are telescopically mounted within the adjacent ends of the posts, as seen in FIGURE 2. In order to so mount the posts, their adjacent ends must of course be open so as to receive members 26.

The storage rack 11 rests on a floor indicated in dotdash lines at 27, and the novel foot construction of this invention spreads the bearing load of each post on the floor. Each post is provided with a foot and each foot is generally indicated at 28. The foot comprises a rectan gnlar metal plate slightly wider than a post and having a post supporting section indicated at 29 in FIGURE 3, and a floor mounting section 31. The thickness of plate 28 is preferably somewhat greater than the gauge of the metal forming posts 12 and 13. Post supporting section 29 has four upstruck tabs 32 formed therein, these tabs being integral with the plate but extending upwardly therefrom, as seen in FIGURE 5, so as to form a complementary aperture 33 in the plate. The four tabs are 90 apart and are on diagonals, facing outwardly and so located as to be receivable by the lower end of a post 12 or 13. A projection 34 is formed near the upper end of each tab 32, this projection being pressed out from the main portion of the tab and extending downwardly and outwardly, as seen in FIGURE 5.

The four corners at the lower ends of each post 12 and 13 have instruck lugs 35, these lugs extending upwardly and inwardly with the lugs at diagonally opposite corners of the post facing and extending toward each other. The inclination of these lugs is such that, when tabs 32 are inserted in the lower end of the post 12 or 13, lugs 35 will engage projections 34 and cam these projections inwardly to a retracted position, tabs 32 flexing at their junctures 36 with the main portion of plate 28, as seen in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 5. When projections 34 pass lugs 35, tabs 32 will snap outwardly until they engage lugs 35 in a latching position, as seen in FIGURE 5. Projections 34 will then be above lugs 35, preventing upward movement of post 12 or 13 with respect to foot 28. Lugs 32 are sufficiently wide so that substantial relative rotation of foot 28 with respect to post 12- or 13 about the post axis will be prevented, since lugs 32 will engage the post walls. Substantial relative movement between the post and foot in any direction will thus be prevented.

Section 31 of each foot is provided with a plurality of apertured portions 37 capable of receiving bolts (not shown) or other fasteners for securing foot 28 to floor 27. It should be noted that portion 31 of each foot may extend in any one of four directions from its corresponding post, depending upon which of four positions 90 apart is chosen for inserting tabs 32 in the post. For example, the left hand and center feet 28 in FIGURE 1 extend to the right from their respective posts whereas the right hand foot 23 extends to the left from its post 12. Thus, individual requirements of the particular in stallation, such as clearance or attaching requirements, may be easily met.

It should also be observed that foot 28 may be easily removed by simultaneously flexing tabs 32 inwardly until their projections 34 clear lugs 35. A special tool (not shown) may be easily provided for this purpose, to be inserted in the post through the opening in wall 24. With the foot removed, any post 12 or 13 is capable of use mounted on top of another post, with connecting member 26 being so shaped as to clear lugs 35.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the inven tion is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a removable foot construction for a collapsible and adjustable storage rack of the type having pairs of open ended hollow front and rear posts of square-cross sectional shape and cross rails extending between said posts, an elongated plate having juxtaposed post supporting and floor mounting sections, the width of said post supporting section being slightly wider than the width of said posts, means on said floor mounting section for receiving a fastener, a plurality of spaced first elements integral with the post supporting section of said foot, and an equal number of spaced second elements integral with the lower end of each post but spaced from the open thereof, said second elements extending inwardly from the walls of said post toward the hollow interior thereof, one of said sets of elements being movable between a latching position interengaged with the other set of elements and a retracted position out of such engagement, whereby said foot may be removed from the post, means forming part of said one set of elements yielda'bly urging them toward their latching positions, each of said first elements boing engageable with one of said second elements when said foot is in any one of four positions spaced apart, and coacting surfaces on said first and second elements when so interengaged in any of said four positions for preventing substantial relative movement in any direction between said foot and the post with which it is engaged.

2. In a removable foot construction for a collapsible and adjustable storage rack of the type having pairs of hollow front and rear posts of square cross-sectional shape and cross rails extending between said posts, an elongated plate having juxtaposed post supporting and floor mounting sections, the width of said plate being slightly wider than the width of said posts, apertured portions in said floor mounting section for receiving fasteners, four upstruck tabs extending upwardly from said post supporting section, and tabs being spaced 90 apart and on diagonals, outwardly and downwardly inclined projections formed near the upper ends of said tabs, four inwardly pressed lugs extending upwardly and inwardly from the corners of each of said posts adjacent the lower ends thereof, said projections being engageable with said lugs when said tabs are inserted in the lower end of a post whereby said tabs will be flexed inwardly until said projections pass said lugs and the tabs snap outwardly with the projections disposed over the lugs, said tabs thus being movable between an advanced position interengaged with the lugs and a retracted position out of such engagement, whereby said foot may be removed from said post, each tab being engageable with one of said lugs when said foot is in any one of four positions spaced 90 apart, and coacting surfaces on said projections and lugs when so interengaged in any of said four positions for preventing substantial relative movement between said foot and the post with which it is engaged.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,496,580 6/1924 Kusterle 1642 2,301,420 11/1942 Liabastre 248188.9 2,859,804 11/1958 Healy 248-1888 3,044,633 7/1962 Baker 211-176 3,092,364 6/1963 Sarafinas 248188.8 X

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

